The Dark Side of Harmony
by TheRealSpitfire
Summary: After two attacks on Princess Celestia's throne, all is not right with Equestria. A group of ponies who still remember the days before Discord journey out to find new lands and start a new life. However, old and new problems face these determined ponies.
1. Chapter 1

Spitfire

It had been many long years after Discord had been sealed away by the Elements of Harmony. To a total outsider, Ponyville, and in fact all of Equestria, seemed to have gone back to normal. However, this was not so. The two attacks on Princess Celestia in the space of a single year had had a lasting effect on her. Though she pretended nothing was wrong, she was no longer the trusting and benevolent princess she had used to be. Instead, she had become paranoid and quick-tempered, constantly tightening security in Equestria in the fear of another attempt for the throne. Though Luna had never tried to challenge Princess Celestia's rule since the Nightmare Moon event, the ex-princess had been exiled to the moon once again after a guard found FOR THE NEW LUNAR REPUBLIC scrawled on the Town Hall. In fact, the Elements of Harmony were the only ponies she still trusted, along with the Wonderbolts, who had been regrouped into a special police force on her orders. Twilight and her friends were made her personal protecters and given high offices while Spitfire became the deputy and second-in-command. Guards became a much more common sight, appearing on every corner on constant watch for any sign of rebellious behavior.

Still, life went on without event. Some ponies quietly grumbled about Princess Celestia's iron-hoofed rule and fondly recalled the past when ponies were once free. Even Spitfire felt saddened when she saw the effects of her harsh regulations. She, like many ponies, would have spoken up against the tyrant Princess Celestia had become, but it was too dangerous for her to even speak her mind any more. It wasn't just because Spitfire wished to keep her title, although it was admittedly part of it. It was because along with the guards, their princess had ponies planted everywhere to listen in on conversations and make sure not a word was spoken that tarnished her image. Anypony guilty of 'verbal incitation to rebellion' was taken to Sugarcube Corner and never seen again.

One day when Spitfire was walking through Town Square, she saw a blue unicorn with a white mane pass a slip of paper to the mail-pony she recognized as Derpy Hooves. Spitfire saw the secretive way the paper passed from hoof to hoof and was able to put two and two together instantly. She took off, flying toward them to confirm her suspicions. A like-minded pegasus spy collided with her, but she held up a hoof and said, "I've got this." As the pegasus withdrew into the shadows, Spitfire turned to the startled pair of ponies. "Now, I need you to follow me to somewhere more private so that you can show me what that says with less of an audience," she told them. She didn't even need to see what the note said to understand what was going through their minds. Such was the danger of living in Equestria.


	2. Chapter 2

Trixie was dead. She knew it. Derpy Hooves looked equally certain as they followed Spitfire down a dark alleyway. They walked for quite a while until it seemed certain they were alone. Spitfire stopped, turned, and held out a hoof expectantly. "Well?"

She couldn't help it. She burst into tears and started babbling apologies without breath. "I'm sorry! I was a fool for spreading l-"

"SHUT UP!" Spitfire's roar all but took Trixie's voice away. She stared up at the princess's second-in-command, still crying as she thought of what would happen. Derpy handed Spitfire the paper and shrank back in fear. All they could do was wait as Spitfire read the note with a darkened expression. Suddenly, she swung her hoof angrily. Trixie yelped and ducked, but instead of hearing or feeling any strike, she heard a clanging sound.

Spitfire had hit a nearby trash can, which cried out as if it were alive. An indigo earth pony fell out of the overturned container and groaned. "Warn me when you're going to do that, please," he complained.

"Why? You already knew I wish for privacy when dealing with problem ponies. Now go." Spitfire glared at the spy as he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and galloped off. "Now, about the note. You wrote this? You think our leader, Princess Celestia, is now a tyrant? You think Equestria is no longer a safe and free place and that all claims of harmony in our lands are false propaganda? Most importantly, are you actually arranging for a meeting in which you will discuss leaving Equestria for a better life?"

Trixie thought for an instant of lying through her teeth. She used to be talented at that, creating wonderful illusions with both her horn and her words. She thought hard of a way to put a positive spin on what Spitfire had accused her of, but one look at Spitfire and she couldn't bring herself to lie. She instead hung her head and braced herself for the worst. "Yes."

"You do know what that means, don't you?"

At this, Trixie lost her composure again. "I don't want to die!" she bawled. She would've continued, but Spitfire covered her mouth and hissed at her to be quiet.

Spitfire leaned in close and muttered to the two of them. "If somepony else hears you and decides to listen in on what I'm about to say, it'll be the end of you for sure. I'm not taking you to Sugarcube Corner, but that'll change if you aren't careful. The reason I moved here is because you're safer with me than out in the open. I know that's hard to believe, but I do my best to make it so. Unlike the rest of the officials, I haven't swallowed the lies or developed an urge for gratuitous punishment, but I need to make it seem like I have."

"What are you talking about?" Derpy asked. She'd been too terrified to speak, but the lack of immediate danger seemed to calm her down a little.

"Don't ask questions. Don't even speak unless it's safe, and it sure as hell isn't in these parts. Who knows, there could be more ponies in bins, that's why I'm keeping my voice down," Spitfire hissed at the mail-pony. Derpy seemed to understand a little better, but she looked about to ask more questions. A nudge from Trixie stopped her from interrupting further, though. "Follow my directions and you'll have a chance of surviving the rest of today. Tell nopony about this or the meeting. Say I spared you after finding nothing. You're obviously a magician, so I'm assuming you've had some experience with making up stories. Stay out of sight as much as possible, then go to the meeting you've been planning. I'll be there. I'm going to risk my life and career for you two, but you've got to make it worth it. Don't get caught and don't draw any attention to yourselves. Okay?" Trixie was bewildered, but she nodded. Spitfire suddenly looked stern again. She spoke in her regular voice again, clearly trying to fool listening spies. "Now, you may have gotten off this time, but I've got my eye on you. One hoof out of line and you're through. Get going!"

Trixie grabbed Derpy's hoof and half dragged her away. She knew Derpy had hardly understood a sentence, and to be fair she hadn't either, but one thing was for certain: she felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while.


	3. Chapter 3

"What was all that about, anyway?" Derpy asked. She had never really been one to understand her surroundings without concentrating, but the fact that Spitfire had knowingly let them go was especially beyond her.

"I will explain, but you have to control yourself," Trixie said. She had never quite gotten over her irritating habit of feeling superior to others, but Derpy had given up on pointing it out long ago. "Just find a way to avoid getting caught at least until sundown. I will help you."

Derpy Hooves sighed, knowing Trixie was using the word 'sundown' very loosely. In fact, Princess Celestia never lowered the sun any more, preferring to keep it up as a beacon of her rule. "Stay out of sight?"

"That's the idea. Here." Trixie's horn glowed, turning Derpy's mane into the same gray shade as the rest of her body. "It'll only last until midnight before wearing off, but if all goes well, that's all the time you need. There are plenty of clouds in the sky today, so if you hide amongst them and don't do anything… well, derpy, I expect you'll be safe."

"But how will you hide?" Derpy didn't want to stay unseen until the meeting in Zecora's hut if Trixie wouldn't make it.

"You know me! The great and powerful Trixie always has a trick or two ready for any problem!" 'The great and powerful Trixie' seemed to be getting her ego back as well. Derpy managed to focus at least one of her eyes on her unicorn friend and glare at her. "Ah, sorry about that. Force of habit."

"It's fine."

"Trixie will see you soon!" Trixie threw some kind of smoke ball onto the ground, covering the alleyway with multi-coloured smoke. When it cleared, Derpy saw one last glimpse of Trixie's cape as it whisked around the corner. She hoped it wasn't the last glimpse she'd ever see of her friend.

Derpy Hooves looked around. She saw no ponies around, but that was never a guarantee of total solitude. She wasted no time in taking off into the skies. Being a mail-pony did have its advantages, for Derpy had no trouble with passing off as just another pegasus going about her duties. She found a large, comfortable cloud, settled down, and waited for the town's bell to chime 12.


	4. Chapter 4

As the clock chimed 11:30, Big Macintosh opened one eye and checked around. He was in his room, and no noise came from the Apple residence save for the occasional snore. Satisfied, the red stallion got up and opened the door to look in the hallway. Nopony else seemed to be awake. Gingerly, he walked towards Applebloom's bedroom door, edging along the wall and avoiding any spots which may creak.

After some time, Big Mac felt safe to enter his little sister's room and tap her gently on the shoulder. On any other day, Applebloom would've woken with a start or a yell of surprise, but the amount of practice that had gone into their act was enough to remove the fear of intrusion. Applebloom slid out of bed as quietly as she could manage. She smiled thankfully up at her big brother, but Big Mac was too worried about something going wrong to indulge himself in smiling back. He merely nodded his understanding before setting off with his little sister trotting behind him.

Most of their escape was uneventful, much to their relief, but Applebloom had forgotten to jump the squeaky stair. The two had to wait a full minute, straining to hear any noises from Applejack's room, before daring to continue their silent journey. They took a detour to the main dustbin, where they'd stored their saddlebags the day before, and then left the house in a hurry.

Once outside, the two ponies breathed sighs of relief. Applebloom looked up to her big brother. "Thank you." Big Mac knew it wasn't only the safe escape she was thanking him for. He had taken care of Applebloom since she was a little filly. He had even been there for her when she had finally earned her cutie mark.

Big Macintosh stared up at the house, and more importantly, the livelihood they were leaving behind. "We're not safe here," he muttered. He saw Applebloom gaze from the house to him, but neither Apple elaborated. Instead, they hugged before setting out towards the forest. They knew they had to reach the Everfree Forest undetected, but this was no small feat with the sun still blazing as if it were high noon.

Big Macintosh gestured for Applebloom to follow his lead, then set out through the orchard. He was not heading directly towards the Everfree Forest, and as he walked he occasionally bucked an apple tree. When he did this, he sorted the fruit into the baskets set at the tree trunks, then moved on. Applebloom stayed close by and mimicked her brother's actions until they were clear of Apple Acres.

Their journey between where Apple Acres ended and Everfree Forest began was short yet hard. Twice they had to dart past a pony looking the other way with barely seconds to spare. It was with great relief that the two ponies burst into the forest.

"Hoi, Apples. Over here, the meeting's about to start." Big Mac looked around to see Lyra waving at him and appearing to be quite cheerful. She had situated herself in a growth of vines and flowers where she had been quite invisible. Once Big Macintosh got a good look at her, though, he noticed she was paler than usual and looked very worried about something, but she smiled invitingly as they approached.

"Hi, Lyra!" Applebloom said as she came level to the unicorn. "You're in on this too?"

She nodded stiffly. "I'm making sure nopony gets lost on the way to Zecora's hut. I'm assuming you'll want directions?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac replied, but his sister shook her head.

"I know how to get there. I know Zecora, remember?" Applebloom pointed in the direction where Big Mac could only assume Zecora's hut was.

"Suit yourself." Lyra shrugged and peered through the tangle of vines to look for more ponies.

As he followed his sister through the dimly lit paths of the forests, Big Mac heard voices up ahead and sped up to hear whom they were from.

"-could've been found! I'm sure they heard something and you know we weren't that well hidden!"

"But they didn't find us, did they? We're still free, we still have it, and nopony will notice it went missing until we've all left for who knows where!"

"But that's not the point! The point is-"

Big Macintosh was startled by an impatient little cough behind him. He turned to see Applebloom pacing at the last path intersection he'd taken. "When you're done with your hike, it's this way to Zecora's."

"Eeyup," he mumbled as he rejoined his sister. He decided not to mention the argument he'd been eavesdropping on.

For the rest of the way there, Big Macintosh wondered who else was going on this journey. If Lyra was coming there would be no doubt Bonbon would tag along. The two were inseparable. Trixie and Zecora had organized the event, so obviously they would want to see it through to the end. Mr. and Mrs. Cake would probably be there if they had the chance. Their lives had taken a turn for the worse since the reorganization of Sugarcube Corner. Berry Punch had expressed an interest, but Big Mac seriously doubted her ability to bypass the guards without outside help.

As Zecora's hut came into view, Big Macintosh could see Derpy Hooves and the zebra herself talking outside the entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were making very forced conversation with a griffin whom he'd never seen before but had heard of from Applejack way back when.

As they filed into the small hut, Zecora and the rest of the ponies followed suit. Apparently they were the last to be accounted for. Lyra and Bonbon were the last to enter the hut. Lyre looked a lot more at ease than when she had greeted Big Macintosh and was chatting animatedly with Bonbon as they sat together. Big Macintosh turned to Applebloom. "You're welcome," he said, smiling.

Applebloom laughed and hugged him again. The hug lasted only a few seconds, yet time seemed to stand still as they embraced, relieved to finally be safe among friends and with each other. For that moment, the years of galloping after Applebloom and keeping her safe were all worth it.

Suddenly, the door swung open. The conversations and laughter died as if all air had been sucked from the room. The two Apples broke apart, glanced in the doorway's direction, and received a shock. There stood three ponies who Big Macintosh knew hadn't been invited. One was a unicorn with a pure white coat, the second was a pegasus with a blue mane, and in the center was a fire-coloured pegasus with a hardened, business-like expression. This third pegasus stepped forward and spoke with authority behind her voice.

"So, what's this about abandoning Equestria?"


	5. Chapter 5

"We've been found!" Bonbon suddenly cried out. The hut immediately erupted into a clamour of ponies pushing and shoving to escape. Lyra decided to stay her ground instead of fleeing. She hadn't risked her life to reach the Everfree Forest for nothing. She didn't see any guards, so unless they were lying in wait, it would be easier to overpower Spitfire should she try to capture her or Bonbon.

Zecora looked a little panicked as she waved her hooves to quiet everypony else down. Spitfire shrugged disarmingly as if she had expected to meet such an uproar. Finally, Zecora threw a bottle on the ground, releasing a firework that let out a loud bang. "Ponies, please! Do not flee or hide. It was for peace that they were let inside."

Lyra wasn't going to be convinced that easily. "Oh, yeah? Who told you that, then? Looks to me like they've got you fooled!" She knew she shouldn't have trusted Trixie to pass out invitations without being discovered.

Zecora glared at Lyra. "I am no fool. I know truth from lies. Let them explain before making tensions rise."

Lyra rolled her eyes, but she received a hard nudge from Bonbon to sit down. Spitfire and her two accompanying ponies walked to one side of the room and spoke. "You're not getting hoofed over to the authorities if that's what you're worried about. I understand we're intimidating, but we're good at heart. Soarin' and I have always wanted to improve conditions and give freedom to you all, but as you can understand, it's almost impossible to even speak our minds any more. Blueblood got disowned after a heated discussion with the princess over loosening security, so the three of us have kept in touch for a while."

Lyra saw that the others were beginning to calm down, but she wasn't letting her guard down so easily. She simply stared fixedly at Princess Celestia's deputy, waiting for her to tell her true motives. She was distracted momentarily by a blue unicorn who she remembered as Trixie bursting through the door.

Though she recalled Trixie was usually in a magician's cape and hat, she was wearing neither on this occasion. The magician closed the door roughly, then seemed to realize the time. "Oh, no. Trixie is sorry she's late. The security was better than Trixie expected."

Spitfire looked half apologetic and half proud, but Zecora was sympathetic. "Quite all right. We understand what you must have gone through. We haven't really started. Please don't let it trouble you."

Trixie nodded and took center stage. In other words, she stood in front of the front door where she'd be seen by everypony. She cleared her throat and started speaking. "Fillies and gentlecolts-"

She probably would've gone on talking until the cows came home, but the already worn out door opened suddenly for a third time. Trixie was all but catapulted across the room as a new pony waddled in, swaying and hiccupping as she did so. The purple earth pony wandered over to an empty space right next to Lyra, but instead of sitting in it, she sat on Lyra instead. Lyra said some choice words and pushed her to one side. She was obviously too drunk to care, though. "Oh, thank'oo kindly, um..."

"Lyra."

"Mirror? Nice name, I guess. N' stuff. Ah'm Berry 'hic' Punch. 't least, I think I am."

"Charmed." She wondered how a pony so drunk could bypass the guards so easily.

Zecora seemed a little annoyed at Berry's entrance, not to mention the state her door was in. "You're late, but not that much so. You at least made it past our common foe."

"Swallowed a poetry book, 'av ya?" Zecora was visibly affronted by Berry's comment. Berry Punch was as rude as she was drunk. Lyra just hoped she wasn't so quick to insult when she was sober. They needed to get along if they were to work together, but as she looked around at the various ponies, she felt like such a feat was as unlikely as ever seeing the moon again.


	6. Chapter 6

As everypony settled down and talked amongst themselves, Soarin' looked for Trixie. He found her talking to Derpy Hooves and Big Macintosh. He got her attention and motioned for her to follow him to a more private place. Trixie looked confused, but she followed and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Are you sure you know what you're doing? I'm a little anxious about all this," Soarin' admitted.

Trixie laughed. "Trixie is certain she can do it, but any and all help is greatly appreciated."

"So, you've got a plan?"

She paused before replying. "Well, yes and no. Trixie only has a vague idea of the security past this point. Is there anything other than The Wall we have to worry about?"

The Wall was, as the name suggested, a huge, fortified wall that ran across the entire border of Equestria. There was no break in it, and it was constantly guarded. Soarin' had no clue as to how they'd get past it, but it was the only obstacle left. "No, thankfully it's just miles of forest from here to The Wall."

Trixie turned to go back to Derpy and Big Mac. "Perfect. Trixie will get us out of Equestria one way or another, don't worry."

Soarin' couldn't help but believe her. She had an air of confidence he'd only ever seen in one other pony, but he couldn't think of her now, not when freedom was so close...

"Soarin'? Hello?" He was jolted from his thoughts from Spitfire waving a hoof in front of him. "Come on, wake up. This could be the most important day of our lives, and you're sitting here looking as if you've seen a cockatrice!"

"Sorry, boss," he mumbled.

Spitfire smiled a little. "Don't call me that. We're not Wonderbolts anymore."

Soarin' returned the smile. "Okay, Spitfire."

"I would like a favour of you, though," Spitfire said, going back into her business mode. "Could you keep an eye on Berry Punch? An alcoholic like her could get to be an issue very quickly."

Soarin' nodded quickly. "Sure."

Spitfire looked a little suspicious. "What's on your mind, anyway?"

Soarin's face fell. He couldn't tell her who he was thinking of, especially since she was right about not being in the Wonderbolts anymore. "Nothing, really."

Spitfire fixed him with a look that said, 'Yeah, right, and I'm an earth pony.' All Soarin' could do was look at his hooves until Trixie clapped her hooves to get everypony to quiet down. "It's about time to go!


	7. Chapter 7

Zecora

As Zecora led the assorted ponies out of her hut, she stopped for a second. She turned to see her hut, which had been the only place which had felt like home to her ever since Discord had been revived. Now she had packed away all her herbs and left the native masks facing the exit door. It used to be a tradition for her kind to do so because it was supposed to bring good luck when a zebra left on a journey they would never return from.

She'd need it.

Behind her, Trixie and Spitfire were explaining a way to get past The Wall, but Zecora didn't listen very closely. Not only was she more focused on granting a safe journey to those following her, but she didn't trust the ponies who were taking charge.

Spitfire used to be the leader of the Wonderbolts. Although she claimed to have changed her loyalties, Zecora had been pursued by Princess Celestia's right-hoof pony more times than she could count. It seemed foalish to believe she had changed her views so suddenly.

Trixie, on the other hoof, seemed to be a unicorn desperate for attention and power. The way she carried herself and spoke made it clear she only thought of herself and looked down on the others. To Zecora, a true leader must be willing to sacrifice themselves to save a herd, but the zebra had difficulty picturing Trixie doing such a selfless deed.

Regardless of her misgivings, she pretended to be as hopeful as the other ponies she would be traveling with. Giving her anxieties voice this early on would only spread them. She noticed Applebloom trotting smartly next to Big Macintosh, who was taking long strides and looking around the forest warily. Zecora reflected that she would not mind if he were to take charge. She had never spoken to him before, but his reputation preceded him to be a kindhearted stallion and a natural-born leader. Not to mention the patience he must have to put up with Applebloom's ceaseless quest to discover her talents. Zecora smiled for the first time in what felt like ages.

"Are we almost to the edge of the forest, zebra?" Her smile faltered. Spitfire had sidled up next to her, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"We still have lots of walking to do. I know your name; perhaps you know mine, too," Zecora retorted. She still resented the flame-coloured pegasus and couldn't help rising to her lack of respect.

"Oh, sorry," Spitfire said genuinely, but the zebra wasn't convinced.

A while passed with no further incident, but Zecora hadn't expected any. She had trekked these acres of forest for years and knew of every path in its interior. Not that that calmed her fellow travelers any. Lyra kept stealing worried glances at the shadowy trees, and every snap of a twig made half of them jump and stop for a second or two. Zecora was not annoyed by this, though. She knew most of them hadn't ever set hoof in the Everfree Forest and therefore could only trust a zebra to know if danger lurked ahead.

As time went on, it became obvious what danger lay ahead. Light started to penetrate the forest as the trees thinned out. As they did so, Zecora could distinctly hear Mr. Cake say, "Oh, dear."

Oh dear, indeed. Towering before them was an enormous gateway flanked by equally enormous stone-and-mortar walkways. On these walkways could be seen at least a half dozen of the royal guard, patrolling in shifts. It stretched as far as Zecora could see, and she understood it must encircle the entire land of Equestria. If the ponies were to estimate the height of this structure, they would've ventured around twenty feet high. It was imposing. It was unmistakable. It was The Wall.


	8. Chapter 8

Spitfire

"What is that?" Derpy Hooves pointed quite unnecessarily at the barrier in front of them.

"What do you think," muttered Spitfire under her breath. They had only discussed a plan of action ten minutes ago. She said in a louder voice, "That's The Wall, obviously. We're going to have to stick to-"

"Celestia could've thought up a better name than that," interrupted Berry Punch, chortling.

"Princess Celestia must have decided it was a good enough name at the time." Spitfire wanted to concentrate on their plan of action rather than the lack of originality of The Wall's name. Plus they had no time to argue over such trivial things.

"Well, if that's the best she can do, she's losing her touch," Berry jeered.

"I suppose you'd have to talk to her about it, then," the ex-Wonderbolt leader retorted. She couldn't believe she was having this argument yards away from certain death.

But Berry Punch wasn't finished pointing fun. "Seriously, anything's better than 'The Wall'. The Uncrossable Border! The Indestructable Barrier! The-" 

"Enough!" Spitfire's temper flared as she turned to face the mare. Some small part of her subconscious warned against taking out her temper so quickly, but she neither listened nor cared. "If you think our situation is so funny, go out there and laugh at the guards! Go on!" 

Perhaps her outburst had sobered Berry up, because the earth pony fell silent. "There. Let's save our jokes until we're safe from the crown," Spitfire finished. Everypony, even Berry Punch and Derpy Hooves, nodded their understanding.

The air was tense as Spitfire walked out from the forest. Everypony who knew of their plan was likely going through a hundred scenarios of failure in their heads. The fiery pegasus looked up at the guards and cleared her throat. 

"There has been a disturbance in the East Wing. The Royal Guard's presence is needed at once." 

She waited, admittedly nervous, as the half dozen or so guards looked uneasily at each other and back at their deputy. A strong-looking white stallion asked, "All of us?" 

"Yes, all of you," Spitfire snapped, her temper back. She would need to seem absolutely genuine to pull off this stunt. 

"But we'll leave this area unguarded," whined a second pony, this one a darkish gray. 

"Nonsense," she spat. "I will be covering for you in your absence."

"But what if a lot of ponies try and get out while we're gone?" a tan mare ventured.

"I'm more than capable, not to mention how unlikely such an event would be. Get going!" 

"But the East Wing is far from here! Why would you go all this way just for a handful of backups?" the most skeptical-looking of the guards burst out.

"Just do what you're told and get the hell out!" Spitfire knew her job would be lost either way, but if she didn't get these idiots to clear out soon, she'd lose her life, too. "You're questioning a direct order, you know that? Princess Celestia won't be happy when I send your report back, will she? And so sorry for bursting your bubble, but you're not as important here as you seem to think! As if anypony would go through the Everfree Forest to escape through here except maybe that blasted zebra. Now fly, before I decide you're not worth keeping around at all!"

Muttering amongst themselves, the handful of guards filed out towards where the sun would have been setting if it had continued its daily cycle. Spitfire waited until they disappeared in the distance. "Onwards, I believe," she said with what was unmistakably a winning smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Lyra

It was a difficult journey through the grasslands that lay beyond the Everfree Forest. There were precious few trees and none of them offered any protection from the open sky. Spitfire appeared to be particularly worried about this. She led the travelers onwards at a fast clip, only pausing when they felt too tired to carry on. It was widely understood that once the Royal Guard discovered the false alarm, not to mention a dozen missing ponies, they would be after them in no time.

"Speaking of time," Lyra asked as Soarin' briefed them yet again on why they needed to hurry up, "Anypony got a watch?"

The other ponies looked at each other. It was obvious none of them had brought anything to tell time with. Some, like Derpy, shrugged apologetically. Some, like Bonbon, looked down at the ground and shook their heads.

Gilda had also noticed the distinct lack of watches in the group. She clucked in disgust. "Honestly, nopony even bothered to bring a way to tell the time? It's not like we can rely on the sun any more!"

"You didn't bring one, either," Lyra pointed out coolly.

"Yeah, well, I thought somepony else would," Gilda blustered. "At least it came to my mind we might need one, whereas all you can do is blame others for your own poor planning!"

"She wasn't saying that at all!" Bonbon had jumped to Lyra's side and was glaring at Gilda. "Just because you're such a bird-brain doesn't mean the rest of us-"

"Oh, shut it, you three!" Soarin' was back and had come between them not a moment too soon. Gilda's wings were spread and her eyes flashed angrily. Apparently the use of the term 'bird-brain' had touched a nerve. Soarin' put himself between her and the two ponies so as to prevent any fighting and continued. "Who cares whose fault it is? The watch isn't as important as us sticking together! If we go picking fights over stupid stuff like this, we may as well turn around and go home!"

It took a long and very awkward pause before Gilda and the two earth ponies agreed to drop the matter. Lyra knew they'd only start arguing over something equally unimportant later on, but she was only happy to put it off for now.

"I guess that'll have to do," sighed Soarin'. He gestured towards Trixie, who was at the front with Spitfire. "Anyway, about the watch, I'm sure Trixie can figure something out. She's worked some real fancy magic just to get here, so I'm sure she has some way to conjure up a clock."

Lyra didn't bother to point out that she was a unicorn as well and therefore was perfectly capable of performing magic too. She was tired and didn't enjoy the prospect of another row. "Thanks, Soarin'. We hadn't thought of that."

Soarin' beamed, then turned to see Prince Blueblood. He was walking rather slowly compared to the other ponies and looking conflicted. "Hey, Blueblood! C'mon, if you carry on like this you'll be left behind!"

He was a little far away for Lyra to hear him clearly, but as he picked up the pace she could've sworn she'd heard him mutter, "That's Prince Blueblood to you."


	10. Chapter 10

Mr. Cake

And so they pressed on, the weather becoming steadily wetter as they approached a marshland. This was good news to the ponies, seeing as the marshes would offer far more protection than the flat plains they had crossed so far. Good-natured conversations broke out amongst all of the travelers, including Trixie and Spitfire, and most of them went far better than the one between Gilda, Lyra, and Bonbon.

Trixie had not conjured any way to tell the time yet, but had instead cast a nifty little spell which, when used, informed the user of how long it had been since the spell had last been performed. With regular use of a schedule, she managed to keep confusion to a minimum. She didn't mind, though she often joked that she had now been reduced to the Great and Powerful Carriage Clock.

Only one pony appeared not to be enjoying their recent fortune. Blueblood continued to drag his hooves as he walked as though he would rather be anywhere else. As they set off at what would've been the crack of dawn, Mr. Cake hung back to speak with him.

"What's the matter? Are you missing Equestria?" he asked seriously. He himself was glad to be shot of the place, but he had good reason to. The Cakes had had to stay in Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie Pie and suffer a constantly unhappy life of pretending they were constantly happy. They were, after all, living with the Minister of Morale herself. But Blueblood had been a prince, moreover, the prince of Equestria. He had been in power, just like Spitfire, or Twilight Sparkle, even. Carrot knew that if anypony missed Equestria, it would be Prince Blueblood.

Blueblood looked slowly at Mr. Cake, held his gaze for a moment, then stared back at his hooves. "It doesn't feel right," he mumbled to the grass.

"You mean leaving on this journey?"

"Of course," Blueblood said, sighing. "Before agreeing to leave Canterlot, I had it all. Wealth, power, dashing good looks..." He chuckled halfheartedly at this. "...but the one thing I didn't have was somepony who gave a damn about me. Every time I tried to talk to somepony about something other than royal business, I knew they weren't interested."

"I'm sure that's not true," Mr. Cake lied. He had known Prince Blueblood by reputation even before Discord, but he didn't want to admit his true opinions. On the other hoof, he was unsure whether he'd take the baker's opinions too seriously anyway. He settled for a conciliatory tone and smile. "I think you're overgeneralizing just a little.

"Oh, sure," Blueblood laughed. Again, his laugh was completely void of mirth. "Let's count all the close friends I've had. That'll take a while; I'm so well connected."

"Speaking of connections, I seem to recall you went out with Rarity. You could count her as a-"

"Do not mention that mare to me!" Mr. Cake's hopeful expression had vanished as he realized he'd blundered into a touchy topic. Prince Blueblood looked furious as he shouted. Quite a few heads turned in their direction as he raged. "She thinks only of herself and expects everypony else to do whatever she pleases! Dumped me before the Gala was even over. I'd be a lucky pony if I had forgotton her and never seen her again, but no! She just has to land herself a job in Canterlot, rumour control or something else like that. It'd suit her anyway. 'Course, we never talk. Whenever we pass each other in the castle she acts as if I'm not there or something. I remember walking into a trash can because I was so busy trying not to look at her. First time she acknowledged my existence in years."

Mr. Cake blinked a couple of times, still shaken. He didn't know what to say. "Did she, uh, help you clean up?" he asked timidly.

The stallion shook his head. "Seriously? She wouldn't lift a hoof to help anypony, especially me, without getting some gemstone or expensive fabric in return. No, she just laughed with the others. The ponies in Canterlot are naturally self-centered, me included. I just wish I hadn't been."

The ex-prince stopped ranting and looked depressed again. Mr. Cake waited, then started talking again. "I didn't know. I'm sorry. But what's done is done, and nopony is perfect. I seriously believe you could turn over a new leaf."

Blueblood laughed without any conviction again. "With ponies who know and remember how much of an ass I've been?"

"Now really, if you're so intent on being down on yourself, I'm not sure I can help," the baker said, irritated. "Not everypony thinks you're all that bad, even in this crowd."

"It's no use giving me that. Even Princess Luna thought I was shallower than a dried lake. She was right, of course... she was always right..."

As the stallion lapsed into silence yet again, Carrot remembered with a jolt that he must've known the alicorn personally. He may have even witnessed Princess Celestia banishing her to the moon once more. He wondered whether he should break the silence or wait for Blueblood to continue.

After what felt like an hour, Mr. Cake decided it was time to respond. "Spitfire and Soarin' appear to be trying to make the best of the situation. Trixie as well. I remember when she first came to Ponyville. Thought she was the greatest pony to have ever set hoof in our little village, she did," he reminisced with a hint at a smile. "If she can reinvent herself into the Great and Powerful Carriage Clock, I'm sure you can-"

"Of course they're trying to be likable! Gives them an edge, doesn't it?" the prince snapped. "I'd bet you my horn they just can't wait to get back to doing what we do best: bossing everypony around! It's not in our nature to just give up power in a quest to be liked, to be understood, to be respected. No, you'll see soon enough that I'm not the only one trick pony 'round here," he finished gruffly. He walked off without another word, leaving Carrot Cake with more feelings than he could concentrate on at one time. One thought stood out among the rest, though: he was glad to have had Cup Cake by his side.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

High above the small town of Ponyville, the sun blazed as usual in the clear, blue sky. The effect of this weather was to leave barely a shadow on the land of Equestria. This was common summer weather, and nopony paid it much notice.

All the same, there was something in the sky. It was quite high up and wearing a Wonderbolts outfit. The pony might have been Rainbow Dash- he was certainly flying fast enough- but the uniform and the pony wearing it were at a much lower rank. The pegasus looked a lot different from Rainbow Dash, too. His mane and tail had a ruffeled, spiky shape to them and left a silver and gold streak in the sky. His body's colour was of a yellowish hue and his cutie mark was that of two lightning bolts crossed into an X. A couple ponies looked up to watch his progress, but he did not have the time nor the energy to show off. He was delivering some very bad news to Princess Celestia, and he dared not slow down for anything.

Blitz, a messenger for the Wonderbolts, flew at top speed towards the pastel-coloured castle that was his destination. He supposed he should've felt proud- honoured even- to have been chosen to deliver such an important message. He didn't, though. For the first time, he felt he would prefer another pegasus to be faster than himself, if only so he would not have to be the one to bring such news to his superiors.

"Hey, what-" He didn't even turn to address the guards, but tumbled into the door that opened into the throne room.

As sweat trickled down his oddly styled mane, Blitz finally succumbed to exhaustion. He barely even heard the startled cries of Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia. He was too busy trying to recover his breath.

"What? What is it?" Blitz faintly recognized Rainbow Dash's voice. "Did Spitfire send a message?"

Blitz shook his head, gasping.

"Twilight? Rarity? Pinkie?" He heard a pause. "Soarin?"

Blitz shook his head more vigorously, but stopped when it started throbbing. "Well, spit it out! Who? What? Where?" Dash was obviously losing her patience fast.

He held a letter with the Royal Guard's seal in response.

"Oh."

By the time Princess Celestia was reading the letter, Blitz had regained enough strength to stand up. He dared not look in her direction for fear of being somehow blamed for the news he'd brought.

Princess Celestia cleared her throat and passed the letter wordlessly to Rainbow Dash. She took it and read it over quickly. Her face darkened with each line she read. "Should I round up the royal guard?"

"No," their princess said. Blitz summoned the courage to look up at her. He thought he saw a flicker of something in her expression. Was it anger? Amusement? Fear? "I wish to make this discreet. Fetch instead Twilight and the rest. Make sure they have their Elements." Blitz repressed a shiver. Ever since Princess Luna's second banishment, there had been rumours of a secret weapon and of exactly how the young alicorn had been defeated. Twice.

"The... the Elements?" Rainbow Dash stammered. It seemed the Wonderbolts' commander-in-chief shared Blitz's misgiving. "We've only used the Elements on our most powerful foes! These are just a bunch of cowardly lowlifes. Surely-"

Princess Celestia's demeanor shifted alarmingly fast. She brought a front hoof down hard on the throne room's floor and glared at her startled general. Blitz quite literally jumped at the sudden aggression. "Surely they must have some power or wit; otherwise they would not have escaped so effortlessly! Have some sense!"

A pony by any other name would've shrank back in fear, but Rainbow Dash barely showed any sign of cowardice save her initial flinch. "What I meant was what if this is some kind of trick? A distraction?"

Princess Celestia's glare softened a fraction. "Oh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dash said. She appeared to be trying to regain her nerve. "You read the letter. They used distractions and a facade of authority to create an opportunity for escape. Who can say they aren't trying to lure us into a trap or something?"

Blitz was uncomfortably aware at this point that he was eavesdropping on a tactics discussion. He started to backtrack towards the door, praying he wouldn't need to deliver any more messages.

"So you think they want us to chase after them so others can take Equestria while we're at bay?"

"Yes," Dash said. She looked almost pleading, but Blitz couldn't comprehend why she would want to avoid chasing after the ponies. Rainbow Dash was the last pony to back away from a potential fight.

"Very well. Blitz!" He froze, hoof at the door.

"Yes, ma'am?"

The princess's horn began to glow, and Blitz thought fleetingly he was getting cursed after all. Instead he saw a letter being sealed and flown toward him. "Take this to Frostbite on the double."

"I thought you could magic it to ponies or something," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"I could, but our little messenger here is looking a little too relaxed. Some exercise would do him good." The princess laughed softly at the look on Blitz's face.

"Fine," Blitz said as he took the letter and prepared to take wing. He was instead thrown aside as something pink barreled through the door into the throne room.

"Gangway! Panicked Pinkie Pie coming through! Oh, accidental alliteration! Look, I did it again! Haha!"

As Blitz groaned and pulled himself to his hooves, Princess Celestia snapped, "What's the damn emergency? We've got enough trouble on our hooves right now!"

Pinkie Pie blinked, as if confused as to why she was there in the first place. "Oh, yeah, I'm terrified. I almost forgot!" she giggled, then looked freaked-out again. "My Element is gone!"


	12. Chapter 12

Berry Punch

As the travelers reached the marshes, their mood lightened despite their gloomy surroundings. They were no longer out in the open. There were also caves dotted around the marsh. While these would offer decent cover against the elements as well as anypony whom might be still tailing them, nopony was too keen on entering the caves. Even Zecora admitted she did not know what horrors may be lurking in them. Instead, they continued on the closest thing to a trail they could find: a naturally-made dam between two bogs which they took in double file.

At 11:00 AM, according to Trixie, the travelers took a rest in a somewhat denser part of the marsh to replenish their energy and take stock where needed. "Isn't there something to drink? I'm parched!" Berry Punch moaned. It felt like ages since she had had a drink.

Applebloom turned to her big brother, who had already fished out a large jug from his saddlebag. As he gave it to his little sister, he nodded to Berry. "You can have it next. Easy there," he warned as Applebloom drank thirstily. "We need to make it last."

Applebloom, who had just taken a tremendous gulp, coughed and spluttered as she tried to swallow. It took a few seconds of frantic activity before she could speak again to apologize. "S-Sorry," she managed at last.

"No problem," Big Mac replied with a small chuckle.

Berry Punch took the flask and inspected it, hoping to see the golden liquid she loved so much. She sighed as she saw instead clear water. "Just water?"

"Eeyup." Big Mac looked at her with a somewhat hardened expression, as if he had expected her to ask that. She felt only a little guilty as she sat back down with their water.

"Oh well, I'll try this for now. I just thought, y'know, since you're from Apple Acres and all..."

"Nope."

She persisted, desperate for a pick-me-up. "I'm sure ol' Applejack wouldn't have noticed a missing flask or two..."

"Nope," he said again, and turned away as if to make clear he would not discuss it any further.

Apparently he wasn't the only one to have cottoned on; the others were looking disapproving, and Lyra tutted, "Honestly."

"Hey, it was just a question! I'm not that desperate!" All Berry Punch's pretense had dropped as she stood up rapidly, not even noticing that as she did so the water flask fell to the ground and started to leak. She marched up to face Lyra, who just rolled her eyes and took a swig from her own bottle.

"Berry, please-" Soarin' said quietly, but she chose to ignore him. She didn't care who this mare thought she was, but she wasn't going to let her get away with insulting her in front of everypony.

"I can drink in moderation just like anypony else, so mind your own damn business, okay?"

"Pull the other one, Punch," Lyra replied dryly. "You don't even remember how you acted back at Zecora's, do you?"

"Mares," Soarin' broke in, a little louder this time, but still neither pony cared to stop bickering.

"That was one time!" Berry lied defensively. "You don't know me, so why the hay are you judging me?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I've seen this trend long enough by now to know that you can't go a day without a glass of punch or cider!"

"Mares!" Soarin' had to raise his voice to be heard, but he might as well have addressed the trees for all the good it would do.

"Funny you should mention neediness. How come you can't do anything without Bonbon by your side? There something we don't know here or what?"

Berry could tell she had gone too far. Lyra's face blanched, then reddened with anger, as she worked to form words again. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky but grew louder with each syllable. "Leave Bonbon out of this you b-"

"MARES!" Soarin' had to practically yell at the top of his lungs to be noticed, but this time he finally got through to the two ponies. Lyra lapsed into silence, but her expression made obvious that what Berry Punch had done was inexcusable. She almost felt sorry for her, and tried to find something to say- something to make it all better- but Lyra gave her no time to find the words as she galloped unsteadily away from the group.

Somehow, as the unicorn's tail disappeared through the trees, Berry wished she had hit her instead.


	13. Chapter 13

Bonbon

Shock.

That was all that Bonbon felt as she saw her sister gallop away. She hadn't even thrown a second glance in either her or Berry's direction. Perhaps Bonbon could find and comfort her from whatever caused so much stress, but it seemed very hard considering Bonbon herself wasn't sure what had happened.

Nopony else appeared to know what to do either. Some had started after Lyra, but they appeared to decide to let Bonbon go first. They settled for staring at Berry Punch with varying degrees of anger and surprise. In return, Berry looked sorry but defiant, as if to say, "I had no idea she'd take it THAT way..."

For what seemed like an eternity Bonbon secretly hoped somepony else would do something, just to guide her own actions. But nopony, even Zecora, seemed to know what to say either, so Bonbon decided to find her sister herself. She avoided the rest of the group's gaze as she pursued Lyra through the thick trees.

Eventually Bonbon found her sitting in a close-grown thicket of stumps and bushes, obviously avoiding company. Her face was hidden, but she pricked her ears at the sound of an approaching pony.

Bonbon cleared her throat nervously. "It's me," she said awkwardly.

Lyra's voice rang out unfocused and wet with sobs. "Leemee lone!"

Bonbon approached instead, hoping to be of some comfort. "I know you're upset, sis. I can't just go."

A weak blast of magic erupted from the bushes, missing Bonbon by inches. "I said leave me alone!"

Though her magic wasn't very strong, the earth pony didn't quite like the idea of getting in its way, so she approached more cautiously. "I'm here to help and you know that. Hexing your sister won't get you anywhere," she chided, waiting for a response. When she felt brave enough to continue, she added, "I don't understand why you're upset. Uh, wanna talk about it?"

Instead of sending out another poorly-aimed spell, Lyra replied with a hiccup. "I just... try so hard to stick together. I feel safer when I know you're safe... Is that wrong?"

"No, of course not!" Bonbon answered at once. "Nopony thinks it is!"

Lyra sighed and stepped out of the bushes. She looked a mess, what with the tears and the leaves all over her, but she made no move to make herself look more presentable. She sat on a somewhat larger stump and explained. "Berry seems to think so."

Bonbon smiled slightly. "Since when has Berry Punch been the last word on anything other than alcohol?"

"Since she mentioned what's been on my mind since we first left. We're like a couple almost, Bon! You realise that, right? We do everything together!"

She paused. "Why is that suddenly a bad thing?"

Lyra dabbed at her eyes with her hooves, apparently unable at the time to conjure a handkerchief. "It's like I can't do anything without you by my side! I just worry all the time, like something bad will happen to you, like..."

Bonbon laid a hoof on Lyra's shoulder. "You don't think I feel the same way? Especially with all that's been happening? I worry a lot too, sis, but I know you can take care of yourself! You're smart, you can defend yourself, you're responsible... Okay, maybe not that last bit, but you know what I mean," Bonbon added at the look on her sister's face.

Lyra managed a weak chuckle. "Yes, I know. I pick fights a lot, but hey, so do you!"

She laughed in spite of things and acted indignant. "Do not!"

"Hay, I'm not the one who called Gilda a birdbrain!"

Bonbon gave her sister a playful punch. She laughed and nudged her back, and soon it was like the argument with Berry had never happened. It had, though, and they could only avoid the issue for so long.

"Lyra?"

"Yes, sis?"

"Well, don't get upset, but I think maybe you should try to be more friendly."

"With Punch-drunk and Birdbrain, you mean?" Lyra laughed.

"No, no, I mean like in general. Picking fights is fun and all, but keep in mind you've got to live with these ponies," she pointed out.

Lyra glared at Bonbon, but she didn't argue with her.

"C'mon, say you will," Bonbon said with the beginnings of a grin.

Lyra said nothing, her features hardened as if she was trying not to laugh.

"Lyra," she persisted, knowing her sister wouldn't be able to resist for much longer.

"...Oh alright then," Lyra said, folding.

The two sisters shared a couple more laughs before deciding to rejoin the group. They entered the sort-of-clearing hoof in hoof, and were surprised to see everypony waiting for their arrival. Bonbon greeted the group and headed for their sleeping quarters after talking with the friends she'd made on their journey so far. Though they asked about the talk she'd just had, she just shook her head and changed the subject.

When she entered their tent, she was surprised to see a glint of glass next to Lyra's bed. She saw it was a bottle of cider with some kind of note attached and took a closer look. It was hastily written yet mostly readable, but still Bonbon read it over and over, unable to take in its meaning.

For those of us who don't know when to quit

-Berry Punch


End file.
